July 23rd, 2009
THE COOL BEFORE THE WARMTH
In honor of Le Tour (and vintage wool jerseys everywhere). Weller and Talbot hold permanent residence in the soundtrack of summer. (p.s. Allez allez Contador!)
July 21st, 2009
KG NILSON
KG Nilson: The Hours
KG Nilson: In the Sea
KG Nilson: Les Cravates
KG Nilson: Time and Greenery
KG Nilson: Ski Track
The silk screen work of Scandinavian artist KG Nilson.
July 16th, 2009
LUXURY FOR THE EYE
Jacob Hashimoto’s work embodies everything we admire: manual craft, consideration, incredibly refined aesthetic. We can’t get enough. New Catalog and DVD available from Studio la Città. Firing up the plastic now.
July 16th, 2009
HEARTING HINAULT
The interviewer, trying to inject a modicum of reason: “But isn’t it necessary to attack intelligently?” Hinault, having none of that: “There is nothing but brute force that can win a race.” The Badger’s cantankerous declarations have been one of the most entertaining elements of the 09 Tour. (We dare to imagine a Hinault / LeMond Blunt-Speaking-Bordering-On-Crazy-Old-Campaigner double billing. Sweatbands mandatory.)
July 15th, 2009
ODE TO CHAMBRAY
It’s summertime, the season of casual style. As such, there are some fabrics you should be seeking out, and putting on. One of them is chambray. Don’t know it? Sure you do. It’s all around, albeit sometimes poorly executed (and you know how we feel about poor execution, yes you do). Chambray has a rich and storied history. Simply put, it’s fine, lightweight fabric that’s woven with white threads across a colored warp. What’s a warp? Well, the warp threads combine with the weft threads to give fabric its inherent characteristics. Want to read more about this? Good.
Chambray takes it name from the town of Cambrai, in Northern France, where the fabric was first designed, and used to create sun bonnets. It’s perhaps most famous as a workwear fabric, though not as famous as another French fabric offering in that vein, serge de Nimes. You know: denim.
Meanwhile, what I’ve been loving on are the modern offerings of chambray. Few fabrics have such a wonderful ability to evoke a range of texture and history all at once. Chambray is like denim made for summer. It’s lighter than most denim, less formal than seersucker and yet it has a certain elegance and style that fits perfectly with the warmer days and casual vibe of this season. Like many elements of contemporary workwear, the Japanese are doing the most masterful offerings. That selvedge detail pic? That’s from my shirt, the one I’m wearing all the time, bocce ball in one hand and a michelada in the other.
July 14th, 2009
PROJECT LE TOUR
Further proof that Graham Watson is achingly overrated: amazing, quirky, fascinating Tour de France imagery from Austin-based photographer Brent Humphreys. More please.
July 10th, 2009
THE TRANSPORT BIKE GETS THE GLAMOUR
DIng! Ding! Transport bike sensibility – long neglected by the cycling industry – is now the hot, hot category. Right on time, Oregon Manifest has created the first ever Constructor’s Design Challenge, charging framebuilders, designers, and engineers to conceive the next-wave multi-functional cycling rig. The Design Challenge will pit the unique sensibilities of each builder against another’s within very specific criteria: youngblood against old guard, steel against carbon…and if we are very lucky, a Truly Sensational Solution. Ready to be amazed? Yes.
